This summer will be an extremely important one for the Los Angeles Lakers as they look to get end this run of futility and get themselves back on the road to championship contention. They will have the money to offer a maximum contract to a free agent and arguably the top player available is Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol.
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The Lakers might want to put their focus elsewhere, however, as their chances of landing Gasol in free agency are reportedly slim according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News:
The chances of him landing with a rebuilding outfit like the Lakers or Knicks are slim. According to sources, Gasol, who turned 30 in January, would likely only leave Memphis for a team that gave him a better championship shot.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Gasol went to high school in the city of Memphis, and the Grizzlies are currently second in the Western Conference and one of the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals. The Grizzlies would also be able to give Gasol the most money, so it makes sense that he would only leave if he felt another team gave him the best chance to win, and the Lakers aren’t anywhere near championship contention.
Gasol isn’t the only big man available and the Lakers could surely land another big piece besides Gasol. DeAndre Jordan has already spoken about being ready for the free agency process, Greg Monroe has been a rumored target, and some still see Kevin Love coming to Los Angeles this off-season.
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